


Missing You

by PhantomsVixen008



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Mentions of Beatings, Protective Victor, violence towards Oswald
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-14
Updated: 2017-07-14
Packaged: 2018-12-02 05:00:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11502276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhantomsVixen008/pseuds/PhantomsVixen008
Summary: Oswald Cobblepot sets off to take care of some business with Bridgit and Ivy as his back up. Victor is left at the manor to pace and worry. When he doesn't hear from Oswald after a week, his mind begins to cook up the worst case scenarios. And in truth he isn't too far off base with his thoughts. No smut, lots of sweet caring Victor.





	Missing You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mymycorrhizae](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mymycorrhizae/gifts).



"Victor, we've been over this a hundred times. You can't go with me. Your suit will only support you for so long, and you wouldn't have access to anywhere with the subzero temperatures you need. I know you can survive for a couple hours without the suit, but we're talking almost a week with no access to your supplies that keep it functioning. I won't risk your life like that," Oswald sighed, reaching up to cup his lover's cheek. The cold stung his fingertips, but it was always such a welcoming sensation. 

"I'm just... I just want to make sure you're going to be safe. I know you're taking Bridgit and Ivy with you, but I still wish I could go," he sighed, cupping Oswald's face between his large hands. "I trust Ivy, but well, you know how I feel about Bridgit. She can't keep you safe like I can." 

"You know I can handle myself, Victor darling. The girls will be there as back up. We'll be fine, I promise. I'll try to call you as much as I can. But, I don't want you expecting phone calls every day. I'm not sure how any of these meetings are going to go. But I'll stay safe. Just so I can return home to you. You know I keep my promises." 

"I know," he sighed, pressing his forehead to Oswald's. "Just ... just remember I love you, okay. No matter what." 

"Victor, this isn't goodbye. I promise I'm coming home to you. I finally have someone to come home to who loves me. I won't do anything to lose that." Oswald stretched up, pressing a kiss to his full lips. "I love you. Now, I really do have to go. The girls are waiting." 

Reluctantly Victor released his hold on the smaller man, a heaviness settling in his gut as he watched him leave. 

******

A week had passed with not a single phone call or text from Oswald. The first week had been fine. A phone call during the middle of the week, and texts nightly. But now complete radio silence. Dread filled Victor's stomach as he paced the floor. He knew deep down that something was wrong. That something horrible must have happened. He'd tried Ivy's phone, then Bridgit's and there was no answer from either of them. The manor suddenly seemed so much bigger, so empty. Of course his mind went to spending the rest of his life alone in such a big place. A life without his little bird by his side. It was more than he could bear. 

Pacing the floor towards the entryway of the house his head jerked up at the sound of the door opening. His heart dropped into his stomach as he saw Oswald supported between Ivy and Bridgit, the dark haired man unable to even hold his head up. His clothing was torn and there was blood on the front of his white shirt. Victor pushed the two girls away, taking Oswald into his arms. Looking over his face he saw that his lover's lip was split, and both eyes were bruised and swollen shut. Oswald gave a soft groan as he was pressed into Victor's broad chest. 

"What happened to you little bird," his words were soft, tears clouding his vision. He barely even glanced to the two girls, before carrying Oswald up the stairs to the bedroom. "I thought you were going to be safe. Look at you. Oh Oswald." 

He gently laid him on top of the covers, his eyes moving over Oswald's bruised form. The smaller man tried to open his eyes wider, but they were so swollen he couldn't quite manage it. "Victor," he croaked out, his hand reaching for the other man. "I .. I thought I'd never get to see you again. I .. I was so worried about you. I ... knew I couldn't leave you all alone." 

Victor shushed him gently, fingers brushing through his ebony locks. "It's okay. You're here with me now, and you're safe. I promise I'll take care of you. And then I'll find whoever did this to you and I will end them. Slowly and painfully. No one treats my little bird this way and lives to tell it." Despite the condition Oswald was in, Victor had never been so relieved in his life to see the other man. To know that he was still breathing and that he could touch him, and hold him. He'd feared the worst when he hadn't heard from him.   
Feared that his lover was dead and that he'd never see him again. Blinking back the tears that threatened to spill down his cheeks, he moved to undress Oswald. 

A weak hand wrapped itself around Victor's wrist. "I .. I'm in bad shape," Oswald whispered. "They beat me pretty badly. I .. I'm sure I'm black and blue all over. You.. you'll be upset." 

"Of course I'm going to be upset. I don't even like the thought of you getting a paper cut," Victor tried to tease, but he knew the words fell short. "Just let me take care of you, please? Get you cleaned up and your wounds patched up." 

"I just don't want you to be mad at me. I .. I should have listened to you and taken you with me." Tears leaked out of his swollen eyes, making him look even more pitiful than he already did. 

"I'm not mad at you, little bird. Not at all. You were trying to protect me," he whispered. "I'm just so happy you came home to me. That .. that I didn't lose you," he swallowed hard. "I can't live without you, Oswald." 

Oswald softly squeezed his wrist, before letting his arm drop back down against the bed. "I love you, Victor. I think I realize that now more than ever." 

"I love you too Oswald. You own me heart and soul. You have from that first time I saw you. Even when I didn't want to admit it," he sighed, carefully unbuttoning the soiled shirt. He had to hold back the gasp that threatened to leave his lips as he saw just how bruised he was. The pale flesh of his chest was black and blue, hardly an inch of his skin wasn't affected. There was no way he didn't have at least a couple broken ribs. He lifted him carefully, tossing the shirt to the floor. He knew everything he was wearing would just have to be thrown out. There was no way he could salvage it. 

Moving to his pants, he unbuttoned and unzipped them, pulling them carefully down his legs. The bruises continued there as well. His entire body was just one massive mottled bruise. "My God, Oswald," he whispered, chewing his lip. 

"I told you it was bad. The girls wanted to take care of me, patch me up there. But, I told them I had to get back to you. I knew you'd be worried. I .. I had worried you for far too long," Oswald's voice was soft, the pure exhaustion leeching into every word he said. "I just had to find my way back to you. When they were beating me," he swallowed hard. "All I could think about was you. I .. I knew I couldn't die. I couldn't ... I couldn't leave without seeing your face one more time. Telling you that I loved you one more time," he trailed off. "I was scared. I think for the first time in my life I was genuinely scared." 

Leaning down, Victor pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, being so careful not to hurt him. "You don't have to be scared now, little bird. You're with me now and I'm never going to let you out of my sight again. I .. I knew in my heart that something was wrong. I could just feel it in my gut. If I had known where you were, I would have come to you. I would have found my way to you." His fingers stroked softy over the skin he'd just kissed. 

"I'm going to draw you a nice warm bath. Then I'll tuck you into bed so you can sleep. Rest is going to be the best thing for you," Victor moved to walk away, but a surprisingly strong hand grabbed his wrist again. 

"Don't leave me. I .. I can't stand the thought of being away from you. " 

Bringing the bruised and split knuckles up to his lips, Victor brushed a gentle kiss across them. "I promise I'll be right back. You need to get cleaned up. And I promise I'll stay right next to you while you sleep. I'll even hold you if you want, as long as you don't get too cold." He kissed the knuckles of his hand one more time. "I will be right back," he reiterated. 

Moving into the bathroom, the full gravity of the events hit Victor full force like a punch to the gut. Starting the water in the bath, he sobbed. He'd been so close to losing the man he loved. So close to having his second chance at happiness ripped away from him. Dropping down onto the floor, he pressed his forehead against the tub trying to get his breathing under control. He knew if Oswald saw him like this it would only make matters worse. His heart ached in his chest and he vowed to himself that he would never let Oswald go off like that ever again. He'd make sure he was always with him. That he could always protect him. He wanted to scream at the top of his lungs. To throw things and smash stuff. But he had to be strong for Oswald. The time for his breakdown would come later. Later when he knew his little bird was out of the woods. 

Wiping the tears from his face, he returned to the bedroom. Seeing Oswald naked on the bed, his body covered in bruises from literally head to toe made his heart ache in his chest. Gently he scooped him up in his arms, cringing as Oswald hissed in pain. "I'm so sorry little bird. I don't mean to cause you any more pain," he whispered, adjusting his hold so that he didn't squeeze him quite as hard. 

The cold from Victor's body felt good to Oswald. His entire body felt like it was on fire, and he knew he was swollen. Having a lover who was a walking ice pack did have it's advantages. He carefully wrapped his arms around Victor's neck, burying his face in his chest. The trip to the bathroom was far too short as far as Oswald was concerned. He would have much rather just stayed in Victor's arms like this. But the idea of a bath was appealing too. He knew he was covered in dried blood and filth. 

"The warm water might sting a bit," Victor warned. "But in the end it will help you relax. It'll loosen those muscles up and will help with the bruising." Kneeling carefully, he lowered the smaller man into the water, tensing as he heard Oswald hiss. "I'm sorry, Oswald. I know it hurts." 

"No no, it's fine." he mumbled, still clenching his jaw. He still couldn't wrap his head around the fact that this beautiful man was his. That he cared this much for him that he wanted to take care of him like this. No one since his mother had cared this much. Sure Ivy had taken him in and nursed him back to health, but this was so different. Just the look on Victor's face told him how much he loved him. He knew in his heart that he had to stop putting himself in situations that would get him killed. He couldn't take the thought of Victor home alone, pacing the floor, waiting for him. What if he had been killed? Victor might not have ever known what had happened to him. He'd be left wondering for the rest of his life. That thought alone made his heart seize painfully in his chest. No, from now on he'd have to be much more careful. 

Victor retrieved a sponge from the side of the tub and he began to gently run it over Oswald's skin. He was so careful in his movements, trying his best to not cause him any more pain. Each bruise on the tender pale skin would make his heart break all over again. Knowing that someone had raised their fists to this man caused a knot of anger to bloom in his chest. He vowed to himself to find out who had done this. He would make sure they didn't live to ever even think of doing it again. 

When the water had cooled and turned a dull brown from all the blood, Victor carefully scooped him up from the water. Sitting him on the bathroom counter he retrieved Oswald's fluffy bath towel and began to dry him off carefully. Once he was dry, he wrapped him in the towel, smiling down at him. Victor leaned down pressing a soft kiss to the bridge of his nose. "I'm going to give you something for the pain. Then I want you to sleep. I'll bring you dinner up later." 

"Please stay with me," Oswald pleaded. "I can't stand the thought of waking up and you not being by my side. I .. I've missed you so terribly and .. well, I was so afraid I'd never see you again." 

Cupping his cheek, Victor leaned his forehead against Oswald's. "If that's what you want little bird. I'll stay right by your side. Even if that means I have to put the suit on. I won't leave you alone." 

Sighing, Oswald leaned into his touch. "Thank you. I .. I love you Victor Fries." 

Feeling tears burn his eyes once more, Victor closed them trying to keep Oswald from seeing that he was going to cry. He pulled Oswald against his chest, letting his tears fall. "I love you too Oswald Cobblepot. Please don't ever scare me like that ever again," he whispered. 

"I won't. I promise, Victor. I won't scare you any more. I've realized just how much I need you. How much I love you," he swallowed hard, pulling back to look at Victor through his swollen eyes. "I .. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. If . if you want, I'd .. well, I'd like to marry you." 

Victor looked shocked, the words hitting him square in the chest. "You'd really want to marry me?" he blinked hard, Oswald's face blurry through the tears he hadn't shed. 

"I do. My mom always said we get one true love, and that we should run towards it and hold onto it as tightly as we can. I thought that love was Ed. But I was so wrong. It's you. You're my one true love. So, I'm running towards you and I don't ever plan on letting you go." 

Careful of his split lip, Victor kissed him tenderly. Pulling back, he cupped his face, smiling at the other man. "I'd love to marry you little bird. I can't think of anything I'd want more." 

Oswald smiled up at him the best he could. He reached wrapping his arms around Victor. "I think I'd really like to lie down now. This has been too much excitement for one day," he laughed, the action causing him to hiss out in pain again. 

Gently Victor scooped him up in his arms. He carried him back to the bed, slipping him in under the covers. Oswald reached out for him, silently begging him to get in with him. And as usual Victor was powerless to deny him anything. He crawled in next to him, pulling him carefully against his chest. "Get some rest little bird. I promise I'll be right here when you wake up. I'm never going to let you go ever again."


End file.
